Body Elements

A small control cluster sits to the right of the MX-1's mode dial, including a power button, shutter release, zoom ring, movie record button, and exposure compensation dial.

The large mode dial includes the usual auto, semi-auto, and manual modes, plus Scene, HDR, and one user preset setting.

The upper rear dial is perfectly placed for operation by your right thumb.

The MX-1 has a very bright autofocus-assist LED lamp to aid focusing in dark conditions. This can be turned off in the menu if you prefer. The AF menu includes an option to disable the lamp.

Just left of the lamp is the first infrared sensor for activation with the WP remote control.

The small flash unit pops up and forward of the top plate. Since it's activated with a mechanical switch, the camera can't deploy it automatically; instead the LCD says: 'Please pop-up the flash.'

The MX-1's flash is released by this sliding mechanical switch on the left side of the camera.

The MX-1's stereo microphones are on the top deck, positioned left and right of the lens' center line. Because you can hear focus motor and zoom noise in quiet videos, you have the option of enabling or disabling both in the second movie menu.

Protected by a hard plastic flap hinged on a metal pin, the MX-1's ports include a PC/AV socket and an HDMI port.

The battery and SD card go into a conventional compartment in the MX-1's base. The camera uses the Pentax D-LI106, a 4.5Wh (3.6-volt 1,250mAh) lithium-ion battery.

Placed off-center from the lens, the tripod socked is metal. Its close proximity to the battery door means you'll have to remove the MX-1 from your tripod if you need to change the battery.

The MX-1's strap lugs are mounted forward of the body to keep them from upsetting the camera's rectangular silhouette, and also to keep them from jabbing into your hand. However, the camera also hangs oddly on your chest, at about a 40-degree angle, with all the weight behind these lugs.

Hidden beneath the paint is real brass, ready to be revealed gradually as the paint wears. It's an unusual feature of little real consequence, but strangely endearing for the nostalgic among us.

Comments

I am a long time Pentax supporter starting from the ist to the k-x to the k-30. When I first saw this, I thought great, I can dump my xz-1 and carry just one flash on holiday and use it between my dslr and my advance compact. But sadly, no. There is no hotshoe for this, so no flashgun, no evf. Also while there is the wired remote option for the k-30 and xz-1, it is only ir for this?

After a decidedly love/hate relationship with my Canon G10 where I get fabulous full light shots and pitifully noisy low-light images, I decided to purchase the MX-1 as the successor. Obviously it has much faster glass and a slightly larger sensor but the thing that sold me is the DP comparison shots. The MX-1 image is equal to or noticeably sharper than other enthusiast level cameras in the comparison list - has anyone else noticed this ?, is it an anomaly ?

I purchased the MX-1 because liked the look of it and that it was a compact. Would be great for traveling. So got my MX-1 and went on a Holiday sad to say it worked for two day and them the LCD stopped working :( No pictures of my holiday except for my IPhone. I am trying to get it returned, replace or repaired but no one seems to care.

I ordered one of these today. They are now selling for half of their original list price. To me that seems like a bargain. I really like the colors of Pentax jpegs, so much so that I may just shoot jpegs for ease and convenience. This looks like a great travel camera to pair with my K-3. Looking forward to trying it out.

This is the first camera I want to return as soon as I got it, and I really wanted to like it despite its strange form factor. The operation is frustratingly slow. Most of the controls are well laid out and the buttons have good feel to them, but their response is sluggish most of the time, taking away the fun from the photography. The AF is desperate in all but casual static shooting, even in macro mode with enough light it struggles at times. The funky chroma NR artifacts at ISO 1000-1600 and the lack of NR / image parameter settings finishes the bitter feeling. I'm going back to my X10, sorry Pentax.

I picked one up on the Woot $199 deal and have to say that's a lot of camera for the money. I'm still getting used to this particular form factor - no viewfinder and a LCD screen that tilts up and down (only). The technical quality of the photos is quite nice - it's my compositional skills that are lacking.

One thing that has helped is enabling the view screen overlay with vertical and horizontal lines as well as the electronic vertical and horizontal levels. I'm learning to shoot more from the waist, but I still keep trying to bring it up to my eye to look through the nonexistent viewfinder.

I still have an old film MX, into which I long ago placed a viewfinder screen with vertical and horizontal lines. The point is, my lack of compositional skill is certainly not the fault of any one camera.

This is a terrific RAW-capable high-end enthusiast compact, and at current prices (Jan. 2014) it is an excellent value and a very attractive option when compared to similar cameras in its class. Image quality is just about as good as you can expect for a camera with this size sensor. Build quality is outstanding. The menus are straight forward and inituitive in use. Performance is snappy all around. It's also a very good-looking camera, in addition to its decent performance. And maybe it's a matter of personal preference, but I rather like the accentuated oblong shape, as it gives me plenty of room to easily access the right buttons and make adjustments. The dedicated Ev knob is a very handy plus, too. I'd like to see a hot shoe and a reasonably-priced optional EVF like the Olympus XZ models have in the next iteration. But without hesitation I highly recommend the Pentax MX-1.

This is all the comments this camera got? That's a little disappointing, it's such a winner. Studio comparison tool, Fuji XQwhatever vs. Pentax MX-1 vs. Canon G16.....well, you'll see it. When I need a replacement for my G11 I'm almost certain the MX-1 will be the compact in my pocket for many years.

I bought the MX-1 after comparing it to the Olympus (XZ-2) and Fuji (X10 & X20) options. Picture quality is superior, control setup is logical and the camera itself is drop-dead gorgeous! Looking forward to years of happy clicking.

I've bought one too. I feel you, bro.This is the camera that's unobtrusive, no ostentation. People give it a look (with a dog's interrogative expression) wondering if it is an old, well preserved 35mm with the ordinary 50mm lens. You won't provoke the "Pros (?)" with their phallic gear nor step on the toes of the P&S crowd. You are the Chevy Nova parked between the Hummer and the Porsche.When it comes to menu, I love the simplicity and the friendly use of it. IQ is just superb. Colors are just off the wall, especially blue skies when shooting in winter. It easily accommodates up to 3 f stops. It makes me go back to my first SLR: Pentax ME Super.This is a First Love camera. The LOVE that so many have forgotten: The LOVE for FUN!!